American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar

American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar

The American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar is American Barbell’s high-end bushing Olympic Weightlifting bar. It has several great features, most notably of which is a stainless steel shaft.

The American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar is built similarly to the comp spec’d Stainless Bearing Bar, but with a couple of key distinctions: one being that this bar offers bushings and two being that it doesn’t include a center knurl. 

On the other side, it’s built very similarly to the lesser expensive Performance Training Bar, with the main difference being this is stainless steel vs. hard chrome.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The knurling on the American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar is going to lean moderate in terms of feel, but you’ll get a distinct grip advantage because of the stainless steel shaft. Without an additional coating like hard chrome, the stainless shaft offers a totally raw feel that also takes chalk extremely well. You’ll also be able to use this bar in higher rep/volume training sessions since the knurl will pose little risk of damaging your hands.

The bar does not include a center knurl, which is common among training bars. As you would expect, the bar also includes single Olympic Weightlifting knurl marks.

Shaft

The Stainless Precision Training Bar weighs 20kg and it offers a 28mm shaft, which is standard for an Oly bar. The 190k PSI tensile strength puts it in-line with other American Barbell offerings as well as several other competitive bars.

The stainless steel shaft, aside from its grip benefits, provides outstanding oxidation resistance. If you’re training in a garage or a humid environment, this is a great option.

Sleeves

The sleeves on this bar include the infamous recessed welds that American Barbell is uniquely known for. The recessed weld is purely cosmetic, but it differs from the traditional friction weld that other companies use.

Another quality of these sleeves is that they’re smooth and finished in hard chrome. The hard chrome is a very common finish for barbell sleeves. The smooth surface will largely come down to preference, as some people prefer grooved sleeves. The benefit of a smooth sleeve is that they’re quieter to use. The potential downside is that they may not keep the plates on the bar as well as a grooved sleeve. If you’re using collars, however, this is a non-issue. 

The sleeves utilize composite bushings to spin – Bushings are a common application in training bars, which help to keep costs/price down. They won’t provide as much spin as a bearing Olympic Weightlifting bar, but they will offer a smooth and consistent spin. Lastly, the end cap is affixed with a heavy-duty snap ring.

Aesthetics

While I don’t own this exact barbell, I do own stainless steel bars from American Barbell, which will provide a very similar aesthetic. This is going to be a beautiful bar and, because of the stainless steel finish on the shaft, it’s going to remain beautiful for a long time. The recessed welds are beautiful to look at.

I also love American Barbell’s end cap color for their Olympic Weightlifting bars. The blue has a beautiful pop to it and I like the silver snap ring as opposed to a black one.

Features & Highlights

• Stainless Steel Finish – Stainless steel is excellent at preventing rust and it provides a true raw feel. While it is one of the more expensive options, it is arguably the best one available. Aside from the oxidation resistance and excellent feel, stainless steel also looks fantastic.
• Smooth Sleeves – The smooth sleeves will generally create less noise when loading/unloading plates compared to a grooved sleeve.
• Recessed Welds – The bar includes stunning recessed welds that American Barbell is known for. 
• American Made – This bar is made in America.
• Strong Warranty – The Stainless Precision Training Bar comes with a limited lifetime warranty from American Barbell.

From the Manufacturer

This is virtually the same barbell as our competition spec. Stainless Bearing Bar just with a bushing system.

The bar shaft is made from precision straightened stainless steel. The strength of the shaft is tested with every shipment of raw material to ensure we have a consistent 190,000 PSI tensile strength. This attention to detail also allows for excellent whip and long-term performance of our bars. Stainless Steel offers superior corrosion resistance and can always be cleaned and repaired with no damage to the surface. Additionally, knurling set in stainless steel has a one-of-a-kind feeling that cannot be achieved with other finishes.

The bar sleeves are precision welded to eliminate failure. The weld is recessed to not interfere with plates resting flush against the sleeve collar. Each sleeve is coated with hard chrome for protection against dropping.

What They’re Saying at Americanbarbell.com

The American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.8/5 at Americanbarbell.com, here are some of the things people have said:

Positive

• “Stainless steel looks great, definitely better quality than other brands, I love the smooth sleeves and the knurling roughness is fair for me (not too rough).”
• “This bar is amazing. Somehow it has a medium to light knurl and has the same bite of a medium to aggressive bar.”
• “All I can is, lifting with this bar is pure joy. The grip is amazing, I dont run back for chalk, it spins super smooth and drops dead. When I drop over head with bumpers it makes no noise.”
• “I can use this for anything. Spins perfectly under load. Stainless feels great in the hand, it’s quiet and a summer of Japanese humidity hasn’t affected the finish in the slightest. Will definitely buy again.”
• “The stainless steel finish on the barbell is impeccable and knurling is just perfect. I highly recommend this barbell for anyone looking for a precise, versatile, and quality-made barbell.”

Critical

• “It is sort of rigid for a weightlifting or even a combo bar but still springs a little on your shoulders during a clean.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

Garage Gym Lab has not yet reviewed this bar, but stay tuned!

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the American Barbell Stainless Precision Training Bar.